Shrouds and Shadows
by Zarkovich
Summary: Flavius Belby discovers that strange creatures lurk around in the fringes of civilization and he doesn't escape from his deadly experience without harm. Please do read and review. This is my first fan-fiction here.


**Disclaimer:** The story's mine. The rest isn't.

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_Monday, 22nd October, 1782 -_

_Strange shadows surround me as I sit here, at my desk, momentary spasms still running up and down my spine. I cannot say for certain what the time is right now but I believe that it is past midnight as I write this. At this moment time matters little to me. What has just happened to me about half an hour back has shaken my rigid belief in the cold, hard facts of science. Good God, I maintain the fact that I have little faith in You but today I confess in Your presence that I am afraid. Protect me from what I know of not. Protect me well for the tender rays of the sun have yet not arrived to drive away my inhibitions. Today I pray before you : Let me sleep well._

As the last word was inked the quill fell out of the grasp of its holder as he collapsed on the desk itself, mentally and physically exhausted. The fickle, dancing tongues of flame that arose from the lit candle on the desk threw his face into sharp relief; highlighting a sharp, hooked nose and long sideburns. His eyelids flickered, as if replaying some terrible nightmare. Formidable eyebrows enhanced the illusion of a severe nature. Long creases on the forehead accentuated this impression. The man looked to be in his mid-40s, though nothing could be said with complete certainty.

He was sleeping fitfully. Parched lips moved soundlessly, as if the man was chanting mantras under his breath to ward off evil. Outside dark clouds gathered, reddening the sky to such an extent that songbirds started to chirp sleepily. The thin, ragged curtains that attempted to provide protection against the elements could do little to prevent a cold wind from coming in and causing the candlestick to drop onto the floor noisily. This inevitably led to the man jerking awake, his eyelids opening to reveal bloodshot, terror-stricken eyes. His fingers at once rose up to feel his own skin, stroking his cheeks slowly and leaving a lingering feeling as he let go tentatively.

_I am alive._

_Time has passed by. Lightning periodically brightens up my room, driving away my fears for fleeting moments and striking awe in my heart. Little by little the fear which has been planted in my heart is being chipped away at and being thrown away into the dark confines of my inner-mind._

_What did happen to me? I do not know. Papua New Guinea is a strange place but I never could have thought that something so magical could ever exist here. I had travelled halfway around the world to enjoy the wealth I have earned in peace. After this I really do not know what to do. Should I Disapparate with Charlotte back to Scotland? This experience I have had here in Port Moresby has really topped off all the strange events occurring to my family and me._

_I know not how to describe it in words. I shall try my best._

_I was sleeping, perhaps even dreaming. I am and have always been a light sleeper. But tonight all of a sudden I felt a suffocating presence on top of me, barely perceptible otherwise. All of a sudden it started. My whole body got wrapped up by this huge cloak and for a moment I thought that someone was attempting to take my life. But then I realized that it was not a someone but a something. This realization helped little for the creature had taken a good hold of my windpipe and was choking me so hard I was surprised I did not die right there and then. Thankfully I struggled. I gave it my all and then some more but it was impossible. It was almost as if God himself had decided to make me pay for my sins and pulled a dark lid over my life, shut me away to burn slowly in hell later on._

_Then finally my mind's gears started working again. The only creature this possibly could have been was a Dementor. But my mind was racing ahead of me and already posed the question, 'How?'. Dementors were not found in the tropics. Port Moresby was as close to the Equator as one could get. It did not make sense somehow. But before my inner-voices could put forward some more points to debate with themselves, the creature applied more pressure, perhaps impatient that I had not given up hope already. Almost as a reflex action I made a super-human effort to get rid of the suffocating presence and then, almost miraculously, I broke free._

_Before I allowed my eyes to glance at my attacker I grasped my wand from the bed-side table. Its warm presence in my frigid palm felt comforting and finally I looked to see what had attacked me. I had been sure that I would have seen a Dementor swooping down on me yet again that it surprised me to see just an innocuous black shroud lying on the floor. I disregarded that and considered the open window, looking at the billowing curtains._

_That was a mistake. I made sure that I would not make any more. I saw a movement from the corner of my eye and whipped around, bringing down my wand with all the force I could muster and screaming, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" The spell struck home but it seemed that it did not affect the shroud at all. At least it continued to home in on me. But then quite suddenly it just caved in from the middle and vanished into thin air._

_Thus ended my encounter with the black shroud. I pray that no one else ever suffers the same ordeal as me. For I believe only Death's cold embrace awaits those who chance upon this devilish creature._

Flavius Belby stopped and neatly rolled the parchment up before tapping it once with his oak wand. He then placed it in a kind of scroll-container before neatly placing his quill in the ink-pot. He closed his eyes, exhaling slowly while running his hand through his thick hair. It was a while before he got up out of the chair, but instead of heading into bed again, he made his way out of the room. He trudged down the hallway, intending to have a word with Charlotte. He had decided that he would make no mention of the incident in front of her. Not until he was safely back in his Hogsmeade accomodations at least.

He had reached Charlotte's door, stoutly in place and richly decorated. A soft knock on the door received no response but what else could he expect? She was fast asleep at this time. Flavius pushed open the door slowly, a tender look on his face. A tender look which instantly transformed into an expression of pure terror as the sight before him emerged out of the dark.

Flavius's knees gave way and he fell onto them, his face petrified in that same expression.

Dark shadows had completely engulfed the bed upon which his daughter slept.

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**A/N: **

Some of the facts in this one-shot are canon. Flavius Belby is the only person to have survived an encounter with the creature. The incident happened in 1782 in Papua New Guinea. The Patronus charm is the only known charm that can ward off the creature. The information above has been gathered from the Famous Wizard Cards written by J.K Rowling and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, also written by J.K. Rowling.The creature in question is a Lethifold. It is not a figment of my imagination. It is a figment of JKR's imagination. Please review after reading and tell me what you think. 


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